FCM President Jenny Gerbasi issued this statement after an FCM-led delegation of mayors met in Ottawa with federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for infrastructure.

"For the second year running, municipal leaders sat down today with Canada's federal, provincial and territorial infrastructure ministers. This meeting reflects what Canadians increasingly expect to see: orders of government working together to build a better country.

"The federal government is ramping up negotiations with provinces and territories to shape the Phase 2 roll-out of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. Phase 2 can generate significant economic growth, tackle shared climate challenges, and foster more inclusive communities for people to call home—but this will require the right process and program design. Today, we brought our united municipal voice to bear on how bilateral negotiations can achieve that.

"We showed our partners how empowering local governments is vital to achieving our shared objectives. Full cost-sharing to move transit expansions forward will shorten commutes and boost Canada's productivity. Scaling up local green innovation will drive down Canada's climate-changing emissions. A National Housing Strategy that leverages local expertise can tackle the housing affordability crisis. Flexible support for rural, remote and northern communities will bring growth and a higher quality of life to every part of this country.

"Local solutions are the key to many national, provincial and territorial challenges. As the order of government closest to people's lives, municipalities bring an approach that is informed, collaborative and focused on real outcomes. Local governments will continue engaging regionally through our Provincial and Territorial Municipal Associations, and federally through FCM—to achieve the transformative progress Canadians deserve.

Jenny Gerbasi is the President of the Federation of Canadian Municipality (FCM) and Deputy Mayor for the City of Winnipeg. FCM is the national voice of local government, with 2,000 members representing 91 per cent of Canada's population.